1. Do you have a favorable or unfavorable opinion of Attorney General John Ashcroft?

Favorable

Unfavorable

Never heard of

No opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

42

36

7

15

2003 Sep 19-21

49

31

9

11

2003 Jan 31-Feb 2

58

24

6

12

2001 Feb 1-4

38

31

13

18

2001 Jan 15-16 ^

34

28

17

21

^ WORDING: Attorney General nominee John
Ashcroft

2. As
you may know, shortly after the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, a law
called the Patriot Act was passed which makes it easier for the federal
government to get information on suspected terrorists through court-ordered
wiretaps and searches. How familiar are you with the Patriot Act – very
familiar, somewhat familiar, not too familiar, or not at all familiar?

Very familiar

Somewhat familiar

Not too familiar

Not at all familiar

No opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

13

46

27

14

*

2003 Nov 10-12 ^

12

41

25

22

*

2003 Aug 25-26 ^

10

40

25

25

--

^ Asked of a half sample.

3. Based
on what you have read or heard, do you think the Patriot Act goes too far, is about
right, or does not go far enough in
restricting people's civil liberties in order to fight terrorism?

Too far

About right

Not far enough

No opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

26

43

21

10

2003 Nov 10-12 ^

25

45

20

10

2003 Aug 25-26 ^

22

48

21

9

^ Asked of a half sample.

4. As you may know, Attorney General
John Ashcroft oversees the enforcement of the Patriot Act by federal
authorities. How much do you trust
Ashcroft to balance the need to protect Americans from terrorist attacks in the
U.S. with the need to protect basic civil liberties for Americans — a great deal, a moderate
amount, not much, or not at all?

Great
deal

Moderate
amount

Not
much

Not
at all

No
opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

17

40

23

15

5

5. The American Civil Liberties Union,
also known as the ACLU, has criticized many legal aspects of the Bush
Administration’s war on terrorism. How
much do you trust the ACLU to balance the need to protect Americans from
terrorist attacks in the U.S. with the need to protect basic civil liberties
for Americans — a great deal, a moderate amount, not much, or not at all?

Great
deal

Moderate
amount

Not
much

Not
at all

No
opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

11

32

29

24

4

6. Next, I will read a list of things
government officials can do when conducting a terrorism investigation. For each, please tell me if this is
something government officials can do specifically because of the Patriot Act,
or if it is something they could have done prior to the Patriot Act being
passed.

A. Hold terrorism suspects indefinitely without charging
them with a crime or allowing them access to a lawyer

Can do because
of the Patriot Act

Could do before Patriot Act passed

No
opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

60

26

14

B. Require non-U.S. citizens who are suspected of terrorism
offenses to face a trial before a military tribunal

Can do because
of the Patriot Act

Could do before Patriot Act passed

No
opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

51

34

15

C. Enter houses of worship or attend political rallies

Can do because of the Patriot Act

Could do before Patriot Act passed

No opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

28

54

18

Responses based on 505 National Adults
in Form A. For results based on this sample, the maximum margin of sampling
error is ±5 percentage points.

7. One provision in the Patriot Act allows federal agents to secretly
search a U.S. citizen’s home without informing the person of that search for an
unspecified period of time. Do you
approve or disapprove of this provision?

Approve

Disapprove

No opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

26

71

3

Based on 501 National Adults in Form
B. For results based on this sample, the maximum margin of sampling error
is ±5 percentage points.

8. Another provision in the Patriot Act requires businesses, including
hospitals, bookstores, and libraries, to turn over records in terrorism
investigations and prevents the businesses from revealing to their patients or
clients that these records have been turned over to the government. Do you approve or disapprove of this
provision?

Approve

Disapprove

No opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

45

51

4

Based on 501 National Adults in Form
B.

9. One provision of the Patriot Act allows federal agents in terrorism
or money-laundering investigations to submit lists of people to financial
institutions. The institutions are
required to reveal whether the people on the lists have accounts with
them. The federal agents can submit the
names without a judge's prior approval.
Do you approve or disapprove of this provision?

Approve

Disapprove

No opinion

2004 Feb 16-17

51

45

4

Based on 501 National Adults in Form
B.

Results are based on telephone interviews with 1,006
National Adults, aged 18+, conducted February 16-17, 2004. For results based
on the total sample of National Adults, one can say with 95% confidence that
the margin of sampling error is ±3 percentage points.

In addition to sampling error, question wording and practical difficulties in
conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of public opinion
polls.